SAS Australia: Who Dares Wins
| Company type | Television series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Reality television |
| Founded | October 19, 2020 |
| Fate | Production paused in 2024, effectively cancelled |
| Headquarters | Australia |
Area served | Australia |
| Parent | Seven Network |
SAS Australia, originally named SAS Australia: Who Dares Wins, was a reality television series featuring quasi-military training, adapted from the UK’s SAS: Who Dares Wins. It aired on the Seven Network from 19 October 2020 until 1 November 2023. After its debut season, the program's title was shortened to SAS Australia. The show was guided by a team of four former Special Forces operatives serving as directing staff, with chief instructor Ant Middleton at the helm.
In June 2024, Seven Network declared that production of the series would be paused for the year, effectively cancelling it. The program did not appear in Seven’s 2025 upfront presentations, casting doubt on its continuation.
Cast
The directing staff for the latest season consisted of Ant Middleton, a former UK Special Forces member and Royal Marine Commando; Matthew 'Ollie' Ollerton, an ex-Special Boat Service operator; Anthony 'Staz' Stazicker; and Jay Morton.
Earlier seasons featured instructors such as Jason Fox, a former Special Boat Service operative; Mark 'Billy' Billingham, previously a Special Air Service Sergeant Major; former Navy SEAL Clint Emerson; and Dean Stott, an ex-SAS soldier.
| Name | Role | Series | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (2020) | 2 (2021) | 3 (2022) | 4 (2023) | 5 (?) | ||
| Ant Middleton | Chief Instructor | colspan="5" Template:CMain | ||||
| Matthew Ollerton | Directing Staff | colspan="5" Template:CMain | ||||
| Jason Fox | Directing Staff | colspan="2" Template:CMain | colspan="3" Template:N/A | |||
| Mark Billingham | Directing Staff | colspan="2" Template:CMain | colspan="3" Template:N/A | |||
| Clint Emerson | Directing Staff | colspan="2" Template:N/A | colspan="1" Template:CMain | colspan="2" Template:N/A | ||
| Dean Stott | Directing Staff | colspan="2" Template:N/A | colspan="1" Template:CMain | colspan="2" Template:N/A | ||
| Anthony Stazicker | Directing Staff | colspan="3" Template:N/A | colspan="1" Template:CMain | TBA | ||
| Jay Morton | Directing Staff | colspan="3" Template:N/A | colspan="1" Template:CMain | TBA | ||
Season 1 (2020)
Filming commenced in March 2020 in Queenstown, New Zealand, but was interrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Production later resumed near Berridale, New South Wales, situated in Australia’s Snowy Mountains region, with the crew accommodated locally in Jindabyne, New South Wales.
Olympic athlete Jana Pittman was initially scheduled to take part but withdrew because of pregnancy and was replaced by former The Biggest Loser Australia coach Shannan Ponton. Pittman returned to compete in Season 2 approximately six months after giving birth.
- Confirmed celebrity participants:*
Season 2 (2021)
In October 2020, the show was confirmed for a second season, which premiered on 13 September 2021. Production was based in the Capertee Valley, New South Wales, with the camp established at the Glen Davis Ruins, a historic location previously utilized for oil shale extraction.
This season included a varied roster of celebrities from sports, entertainment, and media sectors:
| Recruit | Celebrity | Profession | Episode exited | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emma Husar | Former politician | 3 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 2 | Koby Abberton | Bra Boy | 9 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 3 | Brynne Edelsten | Socialite | 1 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 4 | Jana Pittman | Dual Olympian (athletics/bobsleigh) | 13 | Eliminated (Culled) |
| 5 | Pete Murray | Singer-songwriter | 4 | Medically Withdrawn |
| 6 | Manu Feildel | Celebrity chef | 3 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 7 | Jett Kenny | Ironman athlete | 10 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 8 | Isabelle Cornish | Actor | 9 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 9 | Dan Ewing | Actor | 13 | Eliminated (Culled) |
| 10 | Erin Holland | TV Presenter | 2 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 11 | Mark Philippoussis | Former tennis player | 13 | Eliminated (Culled) |
| 12 | Bonnie Anderson | Singer/actor | 6 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 13 | Kerri Pottharst | Beach volleyball Olympian | 6 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 14 | John Steffensen | Olympic runner | 13 | Eliminated (Culled) |
| 15 | Heath Shaw | AFL player | 10 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 16 | Sam Burgess | Former rugby league player | 13 | Passed (Winner) |
| 17 | Alicia Molik | Former tennis player | 4 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
| 18 | Jessica Peris | Sprinter | 10 | Voluntarily Withdrawn |
Season 3 (2022)
The third season launched on 21 February 2022.
The complete celebrity cast was revealed in October 2021:
| Recruit | Celebrity | Profession | Episode exited | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Ebanie Bridges" | "Champion boxer" | 11 | "Eliminated (Culled)" |
| 2 | "Paul Fenech" | "Comedian" | 9 | "Voluntarily Withdrawn" |
| 3 | "Melissa Tkautz" | "Singer/Actor" | 2 | "Voluntarily Withdrawn" |
| 4 | "Barry Hall" | "Retired AFL player" | 7 | "Voluntarily Withdrawn" |
| 5 | "Geoff Huegill" | "Olympic swimmer" | 10 | "Voluntarily Withdrawn" |
| 6 | "Melissa Wu" | "Olympic diver" | 12 | "Voluntarily Withdrawn" |
| 7 | "Riana Crehan" | "Motorsports presenter" | 13 | "Passed (Winner)" |
| 8 | "Darius Boyd" | "Retired NRL player" | 13 | "Passed (Winner)" |
| 9 | "Orpheus Pledger" | "Actor" | 2 | "Voluntarily Withdrawn" |
| 10 | "Locky Gilbert" | "Reality TV star" | 13 | "Eliminated (Culled)" |
| 11 | "Simone Holtznagel" | "Model" | 4 | "Voluntarily Withdrawn" |
| 12 | "Anna Heinrich" | "TV personality" | 11 | "Voluntarily Withdrawn" |
| 13 | "Richard Buttrose" | "Convicted drug dealer" | 6 | "Eliminated (Culled)" |
| 14 | "Ellia Green" | "Rugby player" | 5 | "Voluntarily Withdrawn" |
| 15 | "Millie Boyle" | "NRLW player" | 13 | "Passed (Winner)" |
| 16 | "Wayne Carey" | "AFL commentator" | 5 | "Voluntarily Withdrawn" |
| 17 | "Michael Zerafa" | "Professional boxer" | 2 | 'Medically Withdrawn' |
Season 4 (2023)
The fourth installment debuted on 9 October 2023, notable for being the inaugural season of SAS Australia filmed beyond Australian borders, specifically in Jordan's Wadi Rum Desert. The training camp was set up within a deserted military base nestled in the valley.
The lineup of celebrity participants was announced in March 2023:
| Recruit | Celebrity | Profession | Episode Exited | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Abbey Holmes | AFL Commentator | 10 | Template:Eliminated |
| 5 | Anthony Mundine | World Champion Boxer | 5 | Template:Quit |
| 8 | Boyd Cordner | Former NRL Player | 2 | Template:Quit |
| 1 | Cassie Sainsbury | Convicted Drug Smuggler | 2 | Template:Quit |
| 7 | Craig Challen | Hero of the Tham Luang cave rescue | 10 | Template:Eliminated |
| 9 | Craig McLachlan | Actor | 8 | Template:Quit |
| 3 | Jason Akermanis | Member of the Australian Football Hall of Fame | 1 | Template:Quit |
| 12 | Lindy Klim | Balinese Royalty | 2 | Template:Quit |
| 6 | Mahalia Murphy | International Rugby Athlete | 9 | Template:Quit |
| 13 | Matthew Mitcham | Olympic Gold Medal Diver | 10 | Template:Win |
| 10 | Peter Bol | Olympic Track Athlete | 6 | Template:Quit |
| 11 | Stephanie Rice | Olympic Gold Medal Swimmer | 4 | Template:Quit |
| 14 | Tim Robards | Original Bachelor Contestant | 10 | Template:Win |
| 2 | Zima Anderson | Actress | 7 | Template:Quit |
Viewership Data
| Episode Title | Air Date | Broadcast Time | Overnight Audience | Overnight Ranking | Total Audience |
|---|
Season One (2021)
In March of 2021, Seven Network greenlit a limited series spotlighting civilian participants running concurrently with the second celebrity season. Named SAS: Hell Week, production took place consecutively alongside the second celebrity season within the Blue Mountains region of New South Wales.
Civilian Champions
| Series | Champions |
|---|---|
| 1 | James Fenwick alongside Sarah Jeavons |